The Quays Orthotics

Adult

Foot Drop

Do you live with the worry of tripping or falling? You may be suffering with a dropped foot. Dropped foot is the inability to lift the foot to clear the ground, or dragging the foot whilst walking, an audible “Slap” is often noticed.

A dropped foot is often associated with conditions such as MS (Multiple Sclerosis), CVA (Stroke), Nerve injury and many others, sometimes occurring with no known cause.

Foot drop can affect your life dramatically but does not need to; there are many options we can offer you to make your life less troublesome with drop foot.

FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation).

The FES system used is an external functional electrical stimulator (FES) designed to improve the walking ability of people experiencing foot drop without the ‘fuss’ of setting up wires and a heel switch.

WalkAide uses advanced sensor technology to first analyse the movement of your leg and then sends impulses to activate the muscles to raise your foot at the appropriate time during the stepcycle.

The result is a smoother, more natural and safer stepping motion.

SAFO (Silicone Ankle Foot Orthosis).

An attractive and comfortable alternative to rigid traditional AFOs (Ankle Foot Orthoses), the SAFO improves your balance, corrects your walking, stops you tripping and gives you a newfound sense of confidence and freedom.

The SAFO is available for adults and children alike. Once we have discussed your needs and expectations during an initial consultation, we will take a plaster-cast mould. Next, we will use the measurements from this to create your bespoke SAFO. This will ensure your SAFO is as comfortable and functional as possible.

The SAFO isn’t just more comfortable and functional than traditional rigid solutions. It can also be tailored to replicate your skin tone or your favourite colour.

Benefits of the SAFO™:

Allows ‘normal’ foot/ankle action

Improved sensory feedback

Improved balance

Can be worn comfortably against the skin

Can be worn with or without a shoe

Easy to fit, clean and maintain

Can be worn for showering/swimming

Reduced risk of pressure sores

The SAFO is available in a number of product variants

Carbon Fibre AFO (Ankle Foot Orthosis).

Carbon fibre is an incredibly light, durable and hypoallergenic material. A carbon fibre AFO can provide a decrease in bulk and an increase in activity due to its ‘spring’ effect offering smoother and more natural gait. So if you currently have splints which you are unhappy with or feel don’t perform as you would wish them to, come and see us to find out more.